[RESOLVED] sending multiple emails in batches

gingar

I'm using mail() to send out emails from a contact list. However the contact list may have over 1000 contacts. How do I make php send out the emailers in batches? Example send out 200, pause for a few seconds then send out the next 200..

Is there a way to allow the user to close the browser, but the php script will still keep sending out the emailers until it has sent out every last one?

Thanks in advance!

bpat1434

Cron Jobs will run scripts without browsers; however, you have to schedule them.....

As for sending out over 1000 emails, don't use mail(). The server load would be tremendous. mail() is a very innefficient way to mass-mail people (and it says so in the manual). You should use PEAR::Mail or phpMailer as an alternative. Those should suffice and do automatic "load dispersing" so that you don't have to pause manually.

crazychris

send each one individually, less likely to be spam in that case.
run the script from the command line using the cli version of php, no timeout and no html or browser needed. depending on your smtp server, they should go out in a controlled fashion

gingar

Ok. I didn understand most of what you guys are saying.. lol

How do i schedule a cron job using php?

Do I need to install phpmailer? Because I'm not running this on my local host, I'm hosting it on a remote host.

crazychris

all else fails, use set_time_limit(0), throw mail() in a loop with a sleep() in it.

bpat1434

phpMailer is a script.... so "install" not really, just upload and use.
PEAR is an extension of PHP that might be installed already...

nodi

bpat1434 wrote:
You should use PEAR::Mail or phpMailer as an alternative

Do you have any example using PEAR::Mail or phpMailer ?

bpat1434

PEAR::Mail example (i.e. their manual)
phpMailer